Every Time You Go
by redhandedwickedlittlemachine
Summary: Lucian. Lucy and Ian are supposed to do their ustream, but Ian has some things to say first.
1. Every Time You Go

__**A/N: **Wrote this back when Lucy and Ian first announced they were doing a ustream, and it was originally intended to be in the afternoon. I still love it :).

_Every Time You Go _

Ian tossed a notebook down onto his desk as he walked through his sitting room and over to his couch. Lucy was due to show up any time because they had planned to do a ustream together. She'd flown to New York right after her trip out to Vegas with Chris, and he was dying to see her.

He looked up at the picture frame hanging in the middle of his wall above his flat screen. There were dozens surrounding it that held pictures of his parents, sister, and many of his friends, but the middle photo was from a picture someone had taken of them shortly before the holidays. They were standing back to back and both of them had been giggling.

He opened up his laptop and let it load as he walked back into the kitchen. He grabbed a glass from one of the cupboards and then walked over to the fridge and opened it up. He pulled out a bottle of sparkling cider and filled the glass and then replaced the bottle back into the fridge and walked back towards the sitting room.

He turned towards the door as there was a knock that distracted him. He walked over to it and opened it.

A smile covered his face as Lucy came into view. He stepped aside and opened his arm to offer her entrance. "Come in, gorgeous."

Lucy chuckled and walked in. She was dressed in tank top with a loose black cardigan, and dark blue skinny jeans, making Ian feel a little inadequate. He was in a pair of loose cargo pants and one of his Carnegie Mellon sweaters, and he hadn't done anything to his hair just yet.

"Did you just wake up?" She looked at the glass in his hand. "Or are you like half in the bottle?"

Ian laughed and offered her the glass. "Its cider. Want some?"

Lucy took the glass from him. "Sure. And maybe you should fix your hair, Harding."

He stuck his tongue out at her and then walked over to the kitchen and grabbed another glass. He grabbed the bottle of cider from the fridge and then poured himself another glass and settled it on the counter. Lucy removed her jacket and walked over to the bar and leaned against it. She set down the glass on the counter.

"So, how're you?" Her voice drawled as she ran her finger around the rim of her glass.

Ian shrugged, looking at himself in a mirror on his fridge. He pushed his hair around a bit. "I'm okay. How was your weekend?"

Lucy smiled. "It was really good. And just okay? You're not better than okay?"

Ian shrugged. He walked over to the bathroom across the walkway and turned the light on. He then turned the faucet on and grabbed a comb from the side of the vanity and wet the bristles before brushing it through his hair, trying to tame some of the curls. After he managed to get some of them tamed, he grabbed the hair gel and squirted a generous size into his hand and rubbed it into his hair.

"I don't know. I'm fighting a cold," he said honestly.

Lucy nodded. She could hear the congestion in his voice. "You seem upset, though."

Ian gave her a quizzical look as he washed his hands off and then walked out of the bathroom. He walked into his bedroom for a moment, and then walked back out a few moments later, shirtless and carrying a shirt and different sweater in his left hand. Lucy raised her eyebrows at him.

"Nice view," she teased. "What's that glop?"

"Vicks," he said before coughing to clear his throat. He pulled a crimson v-neck over his head and then pulled on the sweater as well. It was a slightly darker shade than his shirt, but loose enough to keep comfortable in and so that it wouldn't cling to him. He walked over to the counter and picked up his glass and then leaned against it.

He and Lucy stared at each other awkwardly for a few moments, both smiling at each other while conversation seemed to stagnate. Ian brushed his tongue against his top front teeth and Lucy chuckled, dropping her gaze to the counter. The silence fell away as he coughed wetly, clearing away phlegm in his throat.

"Why are you being so weird," she asked him.

Ian furrowed his brow and took a drink from his glass of cider. "I wasn't aware that I was being weird. I'm being weird?"

Lucy shrugged and took a drink from her cider. "You just… I mean is something bugging you? You seem like you don't really want me here."

Ian shook his head. "I didn't say that. If it seems that way, I'm sorry. That's not at all how I feel."

He walked around the side of the bar and then stopped, standing in front of her. He wanted badly to say something to her, but instead kept his mouth shut. He felt bad even thinking about saying anything that might hurt her in anyway.

Lucy reached out and grabbed his hand. "Ian, you and I have **always **been able to tell each other things. What's going on?"

"Nothing, goose. Really," he said. "I'm fine."

He brought his free arm up to cover his face and coughed. He clenched his eyes shut, and a tear dripped out from one of his eyes from the burning created in his throat by the harshness of the cough.

Lucy stood up from the barstool she was sitting on and hugged him, rubbing gentle circles in his back. "Just take deep breaths."

She listened as he started to take in a phlegm-filled breath and then broke into another coughing fit. One of his hands gripped the side of the bar, trying desperately to catch a breath. A few moments later, he stepped away and grabbed a tissue from the box resting on the bar. He coughed into it and then cleared his throat again, grimacing at the taste in his mouth. Lucy continue to rub circles on his back.

"Better?" She asked.

He nodded, turning and kissing her forehead. "Thanks. That helped, I think."

Ian stepped away from her to toss away the tissue and then walked over to his sink and grabbed the mouthwash from next to it. He filled the cap and then tossed it back into his mouth to get rid of the taste in his mouth. After a few seconds, he spit it out and recapped the mouthwash.

Lucy was turning her watch on her wrist. "11:30."

Ian nodded, picking up his glass again. "We said noon. Are you hungry in the meantime?"

Lucy shrugged. "Not really. You?"

Ian snubbed his nose a bit, shaking his head. "Haven't really liked the taste of anything for the last few days. Let's go sit on the couch, though."

Lucy grabbed her glass and followed Ian has he walked across the apartment and then dropped against his couch, making sure he had a good grip on his glass. She sat down next to him and he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"Sorry I didn't give you a proper hug before." He said.

Lucy sat up and looked at him. "There you go again. Seriously, Ian. What's wrong?"

He shook his head at her. "I really don't know what you mean."

She turned more towards him and rested her legs across his lap. "I _mean_ that you never act like this. You're… I don't know! I don't know if you're upset, or if something's wrong, or what."

Ian gulped. He didn't know how to tell her that it hurt him that she was with another guy. He didn't know how to explain to her that he was in love with her, and had been for months. _He didn't know who to explain that every minute since he'd last seen her, he'd ached for her. _

Hell, he didn't know how to explain to her how it was killing him that she had feelings for another guy. Somehow the logic of them not being together had been so much easier to deal with before she was actually with someone else.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He looked down at her lips and then up at her eyes and closed his mouth and shook his head. He turned his line of vision to his computer.

Lucy grabbed his cheek and turned him to look back at her. "Stop! Tell me what's going on! You know better than to think that you can't tell me something!"

"I can't!" Ian yelled at her. He gulped as soon as the words had left his mouth. He hadn't intended to yell at her. He just didn't want her to keep pushing him. She was with someone else that she really seemed to have feelings for. He couldn't take that away from her.

Lucy's hand dropped from his face, and a look of hurt crossed her face. "Why not?"

Ian shook his head at her. There was a knot forming in his throat. This was too hard of a conversation to have with her. He knew that as soon as the words came out of his mouth, that she was going to tell him she didn't feel the same way, and he was going to be the one that was dealing with a broken heart. Going back to work wasn't going to be any easier either, because making out with the girl you're in love with when she doesn't love you doesn't do anything good for the heart.

"Lucy, don't."

She grabbed his hands and squeezed them tightly. "Something's upsetting you, Ian. And it's obviously something to do with me. So tell me. I don't care if it hurts me."

He shook his head, swallowing past the knot in his throat. The pain from the current conversation showed on his face. "It's not you that's going to be hurt."

"Then what?" She cried. "Why can't one of my best friends tell me why he's hurting?"

"Because I love you!" He blurted out. Sure, there was a different context that she could take that comment in, but Ian also knew that the context in which he said it was pretty clear.

He took several shaky breaths and shook his head, looking down at her legs resting in his lap. All at once, the guilt hit him. This wasn't fair. She was with someone else. She was probably in love, or at least a pretty deep like with Chris. It wasn't fair of him to ask her to do this.

Lucy made him look up at her anyway. "Ian…Talk to me."

"Lucy! C'mon…" His voice shook and faltered.

"You know you can talk to me, Ian," she said. "Is this something new?"

He laughed and shook his head, rolling his eyes as tears started to build up in them. "If new is two months ago."

He pushed her legs off of his lap and stood, walking across the room just to put some distance between them. He needed to be able to breathe, and being that close to her was only making him want to grab her and kiss her.

Lucy stood up from her spot but Ian turned towards her and pointed his index finger at her.

"Don't. Stay there," he insisted.

"Then _talk to me_," she cried. Tears were in her eyes now too.

"Don't cry," he begged her. "Please, don't cry. Not because of me."

"Then is that why you won't say anything to me? Because you want to be with me? Is this all because of Chris?" She asked.

Ian nodded. He stared down at his hands and picked at the dirt under one of his nails. He couldn't look up at her when he knew she was going to tell him that she didn't feel the same way.

"So why couldn't you just tell me?" She asked. "You and I are always honest with each other. We've never lied about anything to each other."

Ian looked up at her and his chest caved with a silent sob. Tears ran down his face. "Because I don't want to watch you be with someone else, and I **know** you don't feel the same way, Luce. Why tell you if you don't feel the same way. God knows I've just fucked _everything_ up."

Lucy started to walk around the coffee table so she could go over to him, but Ian raised his hand back up to her.

"Stop. Don't come over here."

Lucy whimpered. "I _can't_ watch you hurt like this, Ian. Let me hug you."

Ian shook his head, clenching his jaw as he tried to get a grasp on his emotions. "If you come over here, I won't… I can't handle…"

Lucy disobeyed his wishes and walked over to him. She pushed his hand away and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, pulling him against her in the tightest hug she could manage without cutting off his airways. Ian closed his eyes and hugged her back, burying his face in her neck. Lucy rubbed her hands up and down his back.

After a few minutes, he pulled away from her. They looked each other in the eyes for a few long moments and then Ian moved his hands to her face and pulled her up to him. He brushed his tongue along her bottom lip and the slipped it inside her mouth.

When she finally broke the kiss, Ian still felt like it was too soon. His hands dropped from her face and he looked down at the floor, clearing his throat.

"Why would you think you couldn't tell me that?" Lucy asked him.

Ian shook his head again, refusing to look up at her. "Because you don't feel the same way. I told you, I just ruined everything. Work-"

"Ian, stop." She grabbed his chin and made him look up at her. "No one ever said that you were the only one who felt like that. Why would you assume that?"

"Chris?" He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Lucy shook her head. "So I met him and we flirted. Why does that mean anything more than I went out on a few dates with someone? I'm capable making decisions without having someone else tell me what to do."

Ian shook his head. "Now I'm confused. What are you saying?"

Lucy looped her hands loosely around his neck. "I'm saying that you're not the only one who feels that way." She moved one of her hands to his face and wiped away the tears still on his face. "If you had said something sooner, this could have been resolved a lot sooner."

Ian rolled his eyes and shook his head. He whimpered. "You're the one who's always saying that we should expand our horizons outside of work."

"Only because that's what I thought we both wanted," she said. "If I had known you didn't feel that way…"

"I love you, Lucy. More than I ever wanted to or planned to, but I don't want to be with anyone else. And I don't want you to be either." Ian confessed.

She smiled, brushing her thumb gently against his cheek. "I love you too, Ian. A lot."

She leaned up to kiss him, but at the last moment, Ian turned his head away, and began coughing. Lucy chuckled sadly and hugged him, patting his back to help break up the mucus. When he managed to stop, she rubbed his back.

"Okay?" She asked after a moment.

Ian nodded, leaning back up to look at her. "You don't want to kiss me and catch this."

Lucy rolled her eyes. She pulled him down to her and slipped her tongue into his mouth, teasing him back into her own mouth where they dueled each other for a moment. "Make me sick. What do I care? I get to be with the man I love and I don't have to lie about it anymore."

Ian chuckled softly. "You're sure about this? Absolutely sure. Even with Chris and everything?"

Lucy nodded. "I'm always sure when it comes to you. I love you, Ian." She kissed him chastely.

Ian leaned down and wrapped his arms under hers, hugging her tightly. He coughed once. "I love you, Karen Lucille Hale." He kissed her cheek.

Lucy hugged him back, and then her eyes grew wide as she looked at her watch. "Eleven fifty-five. We said we'd be online at noon."

Ian nodded. He turned to walk over to his computer, but Lucy grabbed his arm.

"What?" He asked.

She pointed to the side of his face next to his lips. "Might want to wipe that off. I should at least talk to Chris first. I'll get the ustream started."

Ian nodded. He walked off towards the bathroom and listened as Lucy got the computer loaded up and opened the page for the video stream. A few moments later, he could hear her talking.

"_Is this thing on? Okay, good. Ian's coming along. He's got a cold, so he stepped away for a moment." _

He looked out of the bathroom at her as he wiped a tissue on the side of his face.

"You coming?" She asked.

He nodded, turning back to the mirror to make sure the lipstick was gone from his face before tossing away the tissue, popping a cough drop in his mouth and then he walked over to the couch and sat down next to her.

"Hi, all. Ian here."


	2. You Belong With Me

_You Belong With Me_

Lucy yawned as she leaned against the headboard of Ian's bed. She hadn't had the best of days.

After calling Chris, they'd gotten into an hour-long argument and he had called her a slew of curse words before they had hung up. When that wasn't bad enough, he had taken to his twitter calling her a traitor, among other things. Gigi had joined in on it and called her a whore, and him stupid for thinking they could possibly last.

It didn't help that Ian could see that it upset her, and had called Chris back and bitched at him in between coughing fits and then told him to leave Lucy, in his words, _"the fuck alone_."

After that, he managed to throw up on almost every surface that wasn't her. Suddenly she was regretting kissing him, mostly because she wanted nothing to do with whatever it is he had.

She leaned down on the bed and rested the back of her hand against his forehead. He was fast asleep, but she could hear the congestion in his breathing as he breathed in and out heavy breaths. His skin was hot to the touch.

He coughed in his sleep and she frowned. He was quiet then for a moment, before he turned over onto his chest and cringed in his sleep and started coughing harder. Lucy moved her hand to his back and rubbed gentle circles on it.

After a few moments, he pushed himself up until he was sitting on his bum and leaned over the side of the bed. There was a bucket nearby, but that wasn't his primary concern.

Lucy moved over so that she was sitting next to him and slapped his back a few times. The fourth time she hit him, he coughed a mouthful of phlegm into his hand. He reached for a tissue on the bedside table and then wiped his hand off with it and tossed it away into the trash. He grabbed a pump of hand sanitizer from his table and rubbed it into his skin.

"Sweetie, are you sure you don't have bronchitis?" Lucy finally asked. "You sound _really_ bad."

Ian looked up at her and then winced. His head was throbbing. "Dunno. I've only been sick three days. I figured it was a cold." Lucy shook her head and moved her hand back up to his head. A moment later she brushed some of his hair out of his face. "Sweetie, it's more than a cold. Colds don't cause fevers or vomiting."

"Yippee," Ian whined. He looked over at her. "You are **not** kissing me until this is done."

Lucy chuckled. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Agreed. I don't want any of this."

Ian nodded. He rested his hands on his knees and closed his eyes for a moment.

"You okay?" Lucy asked.

Ian shook his head, with his eyes still closed. After a moment, "I'm gonna be sick."

Lucy leaned down and grabbed the bucket off the floor and gently placed it in Ian's lap. He opened his eyes and wrapped his hands around it for just a moment before he curled forward and vomited into it. Lucy continued rubbing his back, though she wished there was something more that she could do than just sit there and watch him suffer.

Ian settled the bucket back on the floor a moment later. "Lay back down," he murmured.

Lucy moved back over to the other side of the bed and then Ian turned over and moved towards her. She rested on her back, and he laid his head on her chest. She brushed her fingers through his hair.

"Where'd you get this monster of a bug?"

Ian groaned. "Friend was sick the other day. Didn't realize it was this bad."

Lucy chuckled. She felt him shiver on top of her and frowned. "You want to get under the blanket?" "Won't help much, but I guess," he muttered.

They both moved off the bed and then Lucy rolled the blankets back far enough for Ian to slip under them before she got in under them as well. Yet again, he let him rest his head on top of her, and she watched as he curled his body into the fetal position. He had his portion of the blankets pulled tightly around his body.

They laid there in silence for a while, with only Ian's congested breathing and occasional coughing fit bringing noise to the room. Lucy stayed quiet, and she could hear the difference as he slowly dozed off into a feverish sleep. As he did, his body slowly unfurled from its position, and he slowly stretched out on the bed. Even so, Lucy still laid next to him and watched him cautiously while he rested. Mere hours ago, he was in a completely different relationship under totally different circumstances with a completely different person. A person who now seemed to hate her and had on qualms about slandering her.

She turned over onto her side and buried one arm under her head while she reached the other out and ran her fingers gently through Ian's hair. She pulled them back quickly when he seemed to struggle with in his sleep, trying to clear his throat. After a moment, the phlegm broke free, and he was resting quietly once again. Lucy resumed the comforting motion.

Eventually, she dozed off next to him, with her head nuzzled next to his arm and her left arm wrapped over his body.

She wasn't quite sure how long she slept, beyond the fact that the moon was quite high in the sky when she woke up, and the spot next to her in the bed was empty. She felt cold from the loss of contact that he was sure had been there only minutes earlier.

Lucy moved off the bed and walked out of the room. Ian was lying down on the couch across the room. She furrowed her brow in a confused manner as she crossed the room and walked over to him. He rolled over as soon as she reached him.

"Sorry." His voice was soft, barely above a strained whisper. "I got a drink. I was gonna come back in, but I was too dizzy to see straight." Lucy nodded. She offered her hands to him, and Ian took the offer willingly. As soon as he was standing though, he started to sway. He brought a hand up to the bridge of his nose and squeezed it as he clenched his eyes shut.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay, Ian?" Her voice was full of the concern filling every inch of her body.

"Bad vertigo," he said quietly. "Bed, please."

Lucy led him slowly through the apartment and back into his bedroom. Once inside the room, Ezra laid back down on his bed, and draped his arm over his eyes.

"Does that help?" She asked.

"Mmm," he murmured. "Not so dizzy now."

Lucy sat next to him and rubbed her hand on his chest. "Can I get you anything?" "No," he replied softly. "Just lie here with me, would you? It helps."

Lucy nodded. She moved off the bed and walked around it to the other side, and then moved to the middle and rested her head on the pillow next to him. Ian wrapped his arm over her, while his other arm was still draped over his eyes.

_Time stands still_

_Beauty I know she is is_

In the morning, Lucy awoke with an ache in her legs from sleeping in her jeans. It was early; the sun was just starting to come up, and Ian was still sleeping beside her.

Wearily, she pushed up from where she was resting and crawled over the side of the bed. She walked out of the room, into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. While she used the facilities, she stripped out of her jeans for a few minutes to let her legs breathe before she slipped them back on.

She headed out into the apartment and grabbed her keys off the counter and then opened a notebook Ian had resting on the counter. She flipped through it until she found a fresh page, and then grabbed a pen resting nearby.

_Gotta run home quick. I'll be back before you know it!_

_-Lucy _

She dropped the pen on top of the sheet and then grabbed her purse and made sure she had her phone before she headed out of the apartment.

She left the building and drove back to her own apartment, where she was greeted by Jack barking at her heels. She chuckled and leaned down to pick him up.

"Hi, baby! Wanna go hang out with Ian?"

Jack licked her face happily.

"Great," she replied as she settled him back on the floor. "I just need to grab some clothes…"

She stepped over him and then walked over to her bedroom and pushed the door open. Contrary to what she expected, the room was just the way she'd left it the day before. She walked over to her closet and opened one of the sliding doors. She grabbed a bag from it and then started pulling things down off of the hangers.

She turned around when there was a knock at the door. Annie was standing there.

"Hey," Lucy muttered. "Sorry about last night. I fell asleep at Ian's."

Annie nodded. "I figured. I, ah, got quite the interesting phone call from Chris last night." Lucy whipped her head around as she walked over to her bed. She dropped the bag onto it and unzipped it.

"He _called_ you?" She asked. "What the hell?"

Annie nodded. "Called, said you were a whore, among other things. So please indulge and tell me what happened?"

Lucy sunk down onto her bed as she continued stuffing things into her bag. "You know how Ian and I were doing the ustream yesterday?"

Annie nodded. "I watched. He sounded like shit."

Lucy nodded as well. "Yeah, he's got a bad case of the flu and bronchitis." She brushed her fingers through her hair. "Anyway, before the stream, Ian was-" "I get that something happened with you and Ian finally. Skip over all the boring conversation and get to the point." Annie chuckled.

"He loves me," Lucy explained. "He said that since the finale, his feelings have been getting stronger, and he tried not to say anything, but when I started dating Chris, it got harder for him to lie about it, I guess. I practically had to pry it out of him; he kept acting weird."

Annie nodded. "So are you two together now?"

Lucy furrowed her brow. She looked down at the floor, perplexed. "I don't know. I mean, I mostly stayed because of how sick he is. He was still asleep when I left, but I left him a note that I'd come back. I'm worried about how sick he is." "And his family is across the country," Amanda surmised.

"Yeah," Lucy murmured. She moved back up off her bed and started digging out clothes again. "I feel bad. He had to listen to everything Chris said, and then he bitched at him for what he said."

Once she'd dug out enough clothing, she grabbed her iPad, its charger, and the charger for her phone. "Anyway, I figured I'd take Jack over there and we'd keep him company til he's feeling better. Then maybe I'll actually have an answer to your question."

Annie chuckled. She walked over to Lucy and hugged her. "I don't care who you date as long as you're happy. And it seems like you're making the right choice, because I know Ian loves you." Lucy smiled, hugging her best friend back. "I think I might love him too. More than just for being Ian, I mean." Annie rubbed her hand up and down Lucy's back as they walked back out of Lucy's room. Lucy dropped her bag next to her door.

"I'm going to jump in the shower before we go," she said.

Annie nodded.

Lucy returned to her bedroom and grabbed a clean pair of jeans and t-shirt; her 'I heart Mr Fitz' shirt. She knew it would make Ian laugh. She then walked back out of the room and into the bathroom. She removed her clothes and then jumped in the shower.

Wasting no time, she started washing her hair as soon as it was wet enough, and then quickly washed up. Within ten minutes, she was finished. She hopped out and wrapped herself up in a towel. She ran a brush through her hair and then ran a towel through it before pulling her hair up off her face.

Afterwards, she quickly applied some makeup and then let her hair back down and got dressed. Twenty minutes later, she was already back in her car, with Jack in his crate and enough food for him for a day or two. LA traffic made her crazy, but fortunately she didn't have to take the highway to get to Ian's place.

After some time, she pulled into the parking area for his apartment building, and pulled into the spare spot assigned to him. She grabbed her things from the car and Jack's crate and then headed into the building. She took the stairs up to his apartment, and then let herself into the still unlocked apartment. The sight before her made her jaw drop.

Food was spilt all over the counter and the floor. There was a puddle of what she assumed was chicken soup near the fridge, and she could smell vomit.

Lucy settled Jack's crate on the floor and then walked over to the bathroom door. She pounded her fist on the door twice and then pushed it open. The shower was running.

"Ian, are you okay?"

He popped his head out from around the curtain. "You're back?" Lucy glared at him. The answer was obvious. "What the hell happened while I was gone?"

Ian turned back into the shower. A moment later, he turned the water off and then grabbed a towel from the rack just outside of it and wrapped it around his waist before stepping out of the shower. Once he did, he grabbed a tissue and blew his nose and cleared his throat, reveling in the wonders that a shower could do for the sinuses of a sick person.

"I wanted something to eat," he said finally as he grabbed a t-shirt off the counter and pulled it over his head.

Lucy stepped out of the way and leaned against the wall. She waited as he pulled on a pair of running pants and then returned to the kitchen. He opened the storage cupboard nearby and then grabbed a broom, mop, paper towels, and a bucket.

"I ate a piece of toast and then got dizzy and sick," he finally explained. "And then I started cleaning it up while I made soup, and I spilt that all over myself. Burned like a bitch, by the way."

Lucy frowned as she grabbed some paper towel from him and started helping to wipe up some of the spilt soup.

"I gave up and jumped in the shower after that."

Lucy nodded as she tossed a mess of soaked paper towel into the trash. She gagged at the sight of the vomited toast still on the floor.

Ian filled the bucket with water in the sink and then added soap before settling the bucket back on the floor. He wiped up as much of the sickness as he could into paper towel and then started mopping up the small area where he'd created such a mess. Meanwhile, Lucy cleaned up the counter and wiped it down.

Jack was yapping angrily in his crate with the desperate need to get out.

"Are you sure you're up for cleaning like this?" Lucy asked him. She tossed soaked towels into the trash and then walked over to Jack's crate and opened it. She gathered the malti-poo into her arms and held him close to her as Jack squirmed. She tapped his nose. "Stop. You are not licking up sticky soup from the floor."

Ian looked up at her as he pushed the mop over the spot where he'd spilled the soup. "I'm okay. I've got most of this cleaned up, so you can let him down if you want."

"If you're sure," Lucy said tentatively. When Ian nodded, she let Jack hop out of her arms. He charged across the room and barked at the mop as Ian moved it back and forth.

"You hungry, Jack?" Ian asked.

Lucy knelt down and opened up one of the bags she'd brought with her. She pulled out a small bag of kibble and shook it. "Look what I've got." "Oh yum," Ian teased, enticing Jack. "Beef and bacon bits, Jack."

Lucy chuckled. She pulled his food bowl out and then walked over and settled it near the bar in Ian's kitchen and filled the bowl. Jack charged at it and began munching at the kibble.

Lucy stood up as Ian picked up the murky water-filled bucket. His eyes grew wide. "Whoa." Lucy quickly took the bucket from his hands and set it on the counter. "Take a breath and sit down before you make another mess." She moved her hand up to his head and cheeks. "Sweetie, you're still really hot."

Ian scowled. "I'm _fine._"

Lucy snorted in retort. "So fine that you threw up breakfast and- wait, you didn't _tell_ _me how_ you spilt the soup."

Ian sighed heavily. "I got dizzy. Almost passed out."

Lucy glared at him and shot her hand off in the direction of his bedroom. "Go. Now. Rest."

"But-" Lucy shook her head. "I mean it!" She looked down at Jack, who was standing at attention nearby. "And you make sure he stays there."

Jack barked accordingly and then nuzzled his nose at Ian's leg. Ian rolled his eyes and walked off towards his bedroom.

Lucy finished cleaning up the kitchen and dumped out the water. She changed out the garbage bag and then walked it out of the apartment and tossed it down the garbage chute before she returned inside and filled a bowl with water for Jack. Afterwards, she heated up a mug of water to add broth mix to for Ian, and heated up a bagel for herself in the toaster.

Five minutes later, she walked into his bedroom and handed Ian the mug while she chewed on a bite of her bagel.

"Real food," he said with a jealous tone. His stomach churned a moment later and he grimaced at the pain.

Lucy walked around the bed and sat down beside him. She ran a hand through his hair and kissed his temple. "Just see if you can manage liquid for now."

Ian leaned over and kissed her cheek. A moment later, he started nuzzling her neck, gently biting on the spot below her ear.

Lucy giggled, leaning away from him. "Ian, stop."

"S'not fair," he whined. "I can't kiss you." He whipped his head away and grabbed a tissue. He brought it back to his face just in time as he sneezed into it.

"And _that_ is why," Lucy commented. Just give it time."

Ian settled the mug on the bedside table and tossed away his tissue before he shifted down on the bed and picked up the remote for his TV.

"You're at least gonna cuddle with me, right?"

Lucy giggled as she finished off her bagel. Once she'd swallowed it, she moved down off the bed and wrapped her arms around him. Ian tipped his head down and kissed her forehead as he continued flipping through the channels.

"Hey, its us!" He chuckled.

"_Aria?" _

Lucy reached for the remote, but Ian held it out of her reach. "C'mon! We don't need to watch this!"

Ian laughed. "You don't want to watch us make out?" He coughed, holding the back of his hand against his mouth. "That day was fun."

"Oh yeah," Lucy chuckled. "I just _loved_ getting soaked. I was **freezing** that night, remember?"

Ian giggled, tilting her head up towards him. "You saying I didn't keep you warm enough?"

Lucy shrugged. She looked back towards the TV. "Ohhh, car scene. That was much better."

"We seem to have a knack with cars," Ian said with agreement."

Lucy rested her head on his chest. "At least _we_ aren't breaking a hundred different laws and sneaking around hiding. I do feel kind of bad, though." "Why?" Ian asked. He brushed hair off her face.

Lucy chuckled. "Because just a few days ago, Holly was right there at my defense, saying I was allowed to have a boyfriend who's name _wasn't_ Ian. She's going to laugh at me when she finds out."

"Please," Ian laughed. "Momma bear will just be happy that you're happy. And then she'll find a reason to yell at me and call me Rookie."

"You **are** a rookie," Lucy laughed. "Pretty Little Liars is the first serious job you've had, acting."

Jack scampered up by them and curled up on Ian's abdomen. Both he and Lucy reached a hand down. Ian scratched Jack behind his ear while Lucy rubbed her hand up and down the dog's spine.

Ian stretched his arms out a moment later and then wrapped his arm around Lucy again. He yawned. "Can't believe I'm tired again already." Lucy smiled up at him. "Take a nap. If the broth settles, I'll get you whatever you want for lunch." Ian raised an eyebrow at her. "Really? Cause I'm craving chicken. Specifically sesame chicken." Lucy laughed. "I was thinking something more like soup and some juice."

Ian shrugged. "As long as I don't wear it again."

Lucy smiled. She shifted onto her arm and kissed his cheek and then moved Jack off of him. She grabbed her bag from the floor and pulled out her iPad.

"C'mere, Jack," Lucy said. Jack curled up next to her and rested his chin on her leg while Ian shifted the blankets so that he was under them. She opened up a game of angry birds and began to play, while the TV played commercials quietly across the room. A few minutes later, she could hear Ian's breathing even out as he dozed, fast asleep.


End file.
